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Hey people.

[The man in the dark shades waved coolly at the screen as he sat on the edge of a small stone fence. It was freezing cold outside but in spite of the clouds that appeared whenever he spoke Crowley didn't seem to notice.]

We've all been brought here, had our powers taken and dolled out to us again in much smaller pieces... it's inconvenient, like being trapped in a baby walker... or trying to save the universe with your hands tied behind your back.

Point is, I need some volunteers who are skilled with Light magic, Healing magic, Animal magic, Kinetic magic and maybe another Elemental magic user who thinks they would be up to controlling sand. Think of it as training.

Also Angel, meet me on the Inn roof before midnight. Not sure it would work with an angel and a demon but if it does we could use some good luck for the new year.

[He doesn't know about the fireworks. Those are going to be a nice surprise.]

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Why is that disappointing...

[ Head shake. ]

I have some plants here that need waking up before spring. I figure a ball of sunlight will do the trick.

Because using dynamite doesn't expend my energy.

[He likes explosions, okay? They're fun. So... no explosions is a disappointment.]

I've not tried to create a ball of sunlight before. Everything so far has been a trick of the eye, the way light plays off things to sort of like... cast illusions. But hey, if it works, I'm down for helping you garden.

.... ah, yeah, ok... you have a point but I still would prefer not to have any craters to fill in.

[ There was a time and a place for explosions. ]

There is a first time for everything. Maybe you can trick the plants with your illusions into thinking its spring.

If we did it far enough away, it could still be fun to make craters and not fill them in.

Maybe. Or if I can create light, maybe I can test how long my magic will last and see about the stamina of something like that.

Sure... If you don't mind the place looking like swiss cheese.

[ He didn't really see the appeal of that but to each their own. ]

Endurance test! Why not. It might be a good idea to test the limits.

[ And the plants would enjoy it while it lasted. ]

There wouldn't be that many, don't be ridiculous.

[The amount of dynamite Gokudera had pulled out and is now tucking away with unreasonable ease is ridiculous. Seriously, there are stacks of it, and who knows where he's smuggling them?]

Right. And if it's not great, then I can see about constructing a greenhouse of sorts out of light barriers to trap the heat to keep them warm. If those barriers give off light, then that's just a bonus.

[Gokudera's not great with plants. Then again... he's not very good with anything, he's pretty sure. The bomber at least knows he's destructive. Even when he doesn't mean to be. It's almost a curse whenever he's around.]

So there would be one huge hole instead of several smaller ones. I'm not sure that's better.

[ He saw that wad of TNT! What's a kid going to do with all that lot!? ]

If the mini sun doesn't work out then the light greenhouse might help to warm them up.

[ And hey, it makes less work for him. He wouldn't have to spark up a bonfire or anything. ]

Think you can drop by and give this a go later today?

Sure. I haven't seen any quarries in this world yet. Maybe I could use it to mine something cool up and sell it off?

[He's a very earthy kind of guy. Dirt flying around the air thick with smoke. No problems. Also, his dynamite isn't always as devastating as someone could suppose. If this guy isn't going to ask what the dynamite is for, Gokudera isn't going to explain. It's just there, and he's conducting some maintenance on it now.]

Right, and it will help trap in moisture, so it will be a good humid environment.

I don't mind.

Actually... That's a decent idea. You would just need to find a stretch of land that had minerals and things in it.

[ A beat. ]

And make sure blowing things up there wouldn't piss off the fae.

[ Or anyone else. The curious maintenance work was given a quiet watch but hey, if the guy was a pyro that was fine with Crowley. ]

Humid environment, yeah, the grapes should like that. There is a cottage on the outskirts of town, just off that road that leads back to the white cliffs. In the backyard of that farm cottage is where your light magic skills are needed.

Yeah! Or I could fire explosives off into the sky and make my own fireworks or something.

[He doesn't have to blow something up, sometimes an explosion just for the sake of it is nice. The destruction can be satisfying, but also so is the thunderous noise and the light.]

I think I'll figure out how to get some clearance with them before I go blowing anything up. Something tells me there's a lot aside from the fae I could piss off... [Like some kind of slumbering dragon or golem or... something.]

So you have a designated garden behind a cottage? Sounds quaint. I'll be there.

You could be a one man fireworks show.

[ An idea which appealed to Crowley more than mining really. Fireworks could help to liven up a party. If he were ever in a situation where there was a party that needed more color then he would know who to call. ]

Mmm, yeah, quaint.

[ Internal screaming. He was edgy not QUAINT! He didn't bother to argue this as he was currently standing in the middle of a field, in behind a cottage and surrounded by wildflowers... in a setting one might mistakenly think was quaint. ]

See you when you arrive.

I could, or work for some kind of concert or something. Long story short... pyrotechnics of some kind, yeah? The dynamite will need permission or a designated area.

[Gokudera isn't much for parties. He's not much for people, either.]

Yeah. A farm cottage. You're looking to grow grapes, are you going to start a vineyard?

[Being Italian, Gokudera's seen a few of those, but he never actually was able to go to them. Being homeless never earned him much favor with anyone.

He's on his way, though. The boss has been out and about, and Gokudera may sort of stalk him, but he knows better than to completely smother him with attention when they're living together now.]

Yo! I've arrived!

[And sure enough, approaching the cottage is the young man on the network. He's knocking at the door, but has the video still on, certain it looked like the man he'd spoken to had been outside. He'll turn the video off once he actually sees Crowley.]

[ He looked to the phone, thinking to respond again but the knock at the door stopped him. The phone was closed and slipped into a back pocket in favor or opening the front door. ]

So I see.

[ Crowley stood aside so his guest could slide past him to enter the place. ]

It will be a vineyard eventually.

[ One certainly couldn't call the place one yet as the fields were nonexistent, the saplings were small and with frost bit leaves, and in a small pile near the backdoor which Crowley lead the group through. The only sign of progress was a newly built greenhouse that sat out in the lawn. ]

I just need to move the plants out here into the greenhouse and we can begin the test.

[ With that he picked up a few of the sprouts and began the task of walking them out into their new glass home. ]

Walk and talk?

[Gokudera seems pleased with the idea of starting a vineyard. There's a lot of open land available to turn into something like that.]

Are you going to grow anything else?

[He remembers gardens from his childhood as well as the Italian countryside.]

What magic do you have?

[Gokudera looks on at the sprouts Crowley has picked up, then over at more of them. He isn't looking to work for free or anything, but helping out... eh, maybe he could gain a favor. This guy seems fairly well off so far, and Gokudera's not made much on his quests. He's not even an adult yet, and seems a bit banged up for someone his age. The boy gathers a few more plants, looking them over curiously as he walks.]

[ And why not, Crowley was pretty pleased with the idea himself. Avalon could use more vineyards. Of course the specifics might need some tweaking as he had never actually made a wine before, he only drank them... but baby steps. He could whip these plants back into grape-growing trim! ]

With all this space? Probably. I don't have any solid plans for anything, this all sort of happened.

[ His mind drifted briefly as he had sampled wines made from other berries before, even pineapple, and in Crowley's imaginative daydream this tiny little farm suddenly grew into a massive operation. Strawberry wine, Gooseberry wine...
Hm? Oh... Had he been asked a question? ]

Here, its elemental magic. Might as well call it elementary...

[ He dropped off his first batch of plants and returned for a second. ]

I can't understand. This lot wants us to help them save the universe but they take our powers away. Seems to me they would want us to be as powerful as we always were.

[Gokudera has no idea if he's got any sort of green or brown thumb. Whenever he puts forth his best effort, he usually breaks things. Get ready for these plants to be burnt, Crowley.]

Surely there are other farmers for the city who would lend you some supplies? If whatever you do ends up an abundance, you could use it to gain favor, or something... I don't know.

[He's sure that making a greenhouse and planning to grow grapes doesn't just happen, but then, he's not an adult. He has no idea how to get something like this started up.]

My boss has elemental magic. Maybe you could use it on the ground so you won't need to till the soil... if that's something you even need to do?

[There he goes again not knowing what he's talking about.]

What kind of powers did you have back in your world? [Gokudera didn't have powers. He's just an explosives expert, mafia right-hand man to be. He's following after Crowley, bringing more plants to the greenhouse and why not? It's a decent enough activity and it's not like Crowley isn't doing this as well...]

[ For Crowley getting involved in something like this was as easy as walking around town with a problem.

The Problem - Angel wants separate hotel rooms, but says they ought to move in together...
The Solution - You need a house.

The rest was up to chance when you glanced up and realized you have walked your way right out of town and look there, a new farmer working his field and cursing up a storm. The rest was down to simple temptation. Remind the farmer who is not enjoying his country life as much as he thought he would how hot it gets in summer, how you have to be on the constant lookout for insects, and harvest time... millions of grapes needing to be harvested. Oh, no farm hands? Then it would all be down to you, you know... unless. Waits for the unless what follow up question to be spoken before continuing. Unless you find some one to rent the place from you. They could do all the farm work while you luxuriate in town, profits to be split at harvest time. It was a simple temptation, he had done worse. ]

In spring maybe. I haven't really done anything 'ground' related yet. I'm more fire and ice. The ice had been a surprise, the fire seems to fit a demon well enough.

But back in my world I could do anything I wanted. I only had to do it... And prepare the appropriate paperwork for head office to justify its being used.

[ There was a downside to everything. ]

Guess I should ask you the same thing?

[Sounds like a lot of work, but something that clearly Crowley had on lock-down. Nothing too difficult, but with the right words, and an understanding on human nature, easy. Gokudera lacks such diplomacy. Then again, he's not trying to do more than get by and impress his boss.]

Water would be good to know. My familiar is very good with it. Are you a demon? [He looks Crowley up and down, but hey, this is a new world. He has a lot he has to adjust to.]

If I had powers? I didn't. Just uhh... know how to make bombs and I can play the piano. There's no use for that, though.

[It was part of the reason he was turned away from several mafia families growing up, anyways.]

I'm also probably immune to many poisons, just because my sister had fed me so much in my youth. [Which means when he was a child, since Gokudera is obviously a teenager.]

[ He dropped off another flat of plants on the floor of the greenhouse and looked sadly back at the cottage. Man... it took a lot of grapes to make a bottle of wine! ]

Yeah, I'm a demon.

[ He thought about that a moment. ]

Was a demon. I suppose I'm really more of a semi-retired demon these days. It's not like I'm working for anyone but myself.

[ And Aziraphale as they were a team and all. ]

I learned to play the piano. I've always found it helpful even if it's not magical. Why...

[ Should he ask this, well he was going to anyway. ]

Why would your sister feed you poison? Jealous you were the favorite or something?

[At least this kind of work doesn't take much brain power or any magical energy. Gokudera's fine with labor, even if he isn't getting paid. It's not as though he had much in the way of plans today except for to use his magic, and the training for that will come eventually when he tests his light on these sprouts.

He looks concerned hearing that he's helping a demon, but... if he's retired, then it's not so bad. That... and no one is getting hurt so far, so this isn't bad. There are many things Gokudera has done on his own that were worse than helping a demon move plants to a greenhouse.]

Most everyone works for their own gain one way or another... demon or not, I think.

[He hums.]

What makes a piano helpful? [It didn't help him at all, really.]

My sister has the ability to turn whatever she touches into poison. My father knew it and would have her feed me poisoned cookies before piano recitals. I was often her guinea pig when she'd try out new recipes.

I'm a bastard, and was not the favorite. She still acts as though she cares about me. I ran away when I was young, so it's not like she had much to compete with when I was out of the picture.

[A shrug. It's in the past and doesn't matter so much anymore.]

They do. Most people don't like to admit that.

[ Crowley glanced over his shoulder at Gokudera only briefly before he started rearranging the plants to take the best advantage of the sunlight, once they got around to the magic flinging bit. ]

In another life I used to play piano in one of those high class piano bars. You can make a good deal of money at one of those if you work the crowd right.

[ Slowly the greenhouse started taking shape with neat rows of those poor frostbitten plants evenly spaced across the ground. Unfortunately the kid's story was a terrible one... Even if he was a bastard and not the favorite after all, did he really deserve to be poisoned? Things like this were why Crowley often held such dark views on humanity. ]

Tough family... It's better you ended up here.

[ Far away from all that.
He placed the last plant and stood while wiping the dirt from his hands with a handkerchief. ]

There. I think we have them all. You need to do anything to prep before trying out your magic?

Most people see things the way they want.

[He's watching Crowley adjust the plants, not sure what way they need to be set considering he's not sure if everything operates the same way in this world as it does on Earth. What if the grapes are magical and require more than the basics.]

I used to know a man who played piano at a local shop. He got to play in a concert...

[Gokudera could never, he thinks. It's not that he'd be incapable of playing, but that the memories are a little too personal and drudges up more than he wants to focus on. Playing the piano is not about making money for him. It's just... not beneficial for his place in the mafia.]

Sure. I'm just glad I ran away when I did. I'm making my own family, anyways. [He walks over to the most sorry looking sprout of the bunch and then shrugs.]

I don't think so? I'll just focus on one for now, and if it looks any better, I'll work on expanding the light.

[Gokudera cups his hands over the plant and creates what looks like a floating pane of glass. He frowns and shifts his hands, looks up at the natural light and then tries to use the pane to amplify the light, sort of how a magnifying glass could help focus a beam. It just needs to be a... larger beam.]

[ It seemed a wise plan to start with one plant instead of involving all of them. This poor little sapling was weary with leaves that drooped from the cold shock it had suffered. It responded well to the panel of light, lifting its leaves towards it, but the focus was too narrow and where the beam landed the strongest upon a weak little dried out leave it began to smoke. ]

Archimedes laser. Keep that up and you will start a fire.

[Once he notices the smoke, he shifts the pane of light, and that just narrows it more, so he directs it away, then folds his hands some, which just makes the pane split in two and vanish.]

I wasn’t trying to do that.

[Next, he’s cupping his hands, and trying to visualize light gathering between them. Instead, it seems light is coming off of his palms like steam and he’s frowning, trying to make a lightbulb, or just a glowing bubble. It’s a slow process, but the closer he brings his hands, the smaller the bubble gets and the more intense the light it puts off. He spreads his hands and it seems to be firm enough, so he’s holding it above the sprout.]

I don’t know how long I can keep it. Something like this may need to be maintained for hours at a time before you can see results, so maybe instead I can just try this on the ones that have taken the most damage from the cold...

[ Crowley sat back and watched the kid work. Humans could be impressive with their stick-to-it-ness... He had failed a few times before he ended up with something that looked like it might work. ]

You're in the right area for that. Those plants on the side nearest to you were the ones most damaged by the cold. Anything you could do to give them a boost would be appreciated.

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